Back To Life, Back To Sea
Enjoy oysters, shrimp, and more at these local restaurants.
ByTimothy MalcolmOctober 27, 2022Published in the Summer 2021 issue ofHoustonia Magazine
THERE ARE PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEAwhen it comes to seafood restaurants in Houston, thanks to our proximity to the Gulf Coast. Aside from the classic Gulf shrimp (royal reds are a huge hit), the city has found every way in the book to cook up fresh fish, oysters, lobster, crab, and more. Whether seasoned creole andcajun style or chargrilled and blackened, there's adish for every craving. Want seafood all day? Choose a laid-back spot for lunch followed by a more upscale dining experience for dinner.
Here are 15 of the hands-down best Gulf Coast seafood restaurants in Houston:
Acme Oyster House
MONTROSE
Now blasting its crimson-hued presence on Montrose’s restaurant row (at the old Tower Theatre...or El Real, depending on your reference point), this French Quarter favorite opened in April and immediately had folks lining up for oysters, seafood étouffée, and fish Pontchartrain in butter cream sauce. From crab cakes to oyster Rockefeller soup, the options here are dizzying. Maybe just splurge on the Captain’s Platter, combining all of the sea-things—fried oysters, shrimp, fish, and soft-shell crab—with a serious array of carbs and coleslaw.
Backyard Boil House
RIVERSIDE TERRACE
PlaceBackyard Boil House on your regular restaurant visit list as this is a best kept secret of the city.Trythe fried rice with seasoned crab, or a "Combeaux Plate" with shrimp, crab, sausage, potatoes, corn, and the creamy garlic sauce. Order a party platter "To-Geaux" for your next family gathering; it will not disappoint.
BB's Tex-Orleans
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Late afternoon on a summer Saturday and you’re just not sure—you want a drink but nothing too fussy to eat. In fact, some fried catfish would hit the spot. Just direct your gaze to BB’s. All 10 locations of this Cajun stalwart serve up a fine, simple meal: fried catfish, shrimp, or oysters with fries, hush puppies, slaw, and garlic bread. Of course, po’ boys, redfish with Gulf shrimp, and, when in season, darn good crawfish with a hit of garlic paste also await.
Eugene's Gulf Coast Cuisine
MONTROSE
When Danton’s Gulf Coast Seafood Kitchen had to leave its home, owner Kyle Teas moved across the neighborhood and recreated surf-and-turf magic with Eugene’s, named after his father. Here you’ll get redfish stuffed with crab meat, Texas catfish, and Gulf shrimp and oysters, which can be grilled, fried, pan-broiled, or blackened. Or maybe you want oysters sautéed in lemon garlic butter sauce. That’s oysters Kyle, one of Danton’s staples that also made the move to Eugene’s. Sometimes it’s best to keep things just the way they were.
Field & Tides
HEIGHTS
One of Houston’s cutest casual neighborhood restaurants, offers Southern comfort with a gourmet lift. Gulf Coast blue crab is paired with brie in a delectable fondue, for example, and fried oysters with crispy cornmeal crust get some fresh brussels sprouts. Of course, raw Gulf oysters come by the dozen, and you’ll get impressive entrées of redfish, snapper, and flounder—the latter paired with black-eyed peas and shish*to chowchow to really bring the warm and fuzzies.
Gatlin's Fins & Feathers
INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS
Pitmaster and owner Greg Gatlinbrings this new restaurant to the heights and offers a gumbo that always brings you back for more. Staples include fried chicken and fish, and chargrilled oysters.Start with the gumbo, oysters, and the shrimp and crab campechana (Mexican style shrimp co*cktail with crab, avocado and cucumbers served with tortilla chips). If you have room, order the friedcatfish and shrimp combo. Go for lunch, come back for dinner.
Gilhooley's Restaurant and Oyster Bar
SAN LEON
Welcome to the Margaritaville of oyster bars. Gilhooley’s, which has served Galveston Bay oysters by the boatful in San Leon since 1988, has a big ol’ outdoor area with picnic tables, plenty of inexpensive beer (by the bucket, too, if you’d like), and a staunch no-kids policy. So, get wasted away with raw and grilled oysters headlined by—naturally—oysters Gilhooley, which are cooked in garlic butter and parmesan. Throw in some fresh Gulf shrimp co*cktail, too.
Goode Co. Seafood
MEMORIAL, WESTPARK
First things first: the campechano. This Mexican seafood co*cktail with a spicy mix of shrimp and crab, diced avocado, Anaheim peppers, and pico de gallo is the embodiment of Jim Goode’s seafood restaurant, a tribute to his childhood on the Gulf. Of course, the smoked redfish dip, raw and grilled Gulf oysters, seared tuna with creole mustard sauce, fried fish platters, and stuffed crab also make Goode Co. a necessary visit for any seafood fix.
La Fishería
DOWNTOWN
Houston’s original upscale Mexican restaurant is now a veteran of sorts, though its impressive dining room’s sky blue and cobalt blue tiles still sparkle. Along with campechano and ceviche, you can find aguachile with Gulf shrimp and bay scallops, plus Galveston Bay oysters in soy sauce and lime vinaigrette. The sweet and briny combination of tomatoes and olives brightens a grilled red snapper entrée, and the sweet corn tamales with sautéed shrimp is a must.
Liberty Kitchen
MEMORIAL, RIVER OAKS
For nearly a decade the Liberty Kitchen name has been part of the Houston culinary vernacular, though its ownership and menu recently changed. Its locations—Memorial and River Oaks—are still shucking oysters from Texas and Louisiana. But now you can find the grilled Texas redfish and jumbo Gulf shrimp with grits whipped with cheese and ultra-rich Irish butter. For ultimate indulgence, spring for the Liberty Stacked Tower: a dozen oysters, eight co*cktail shrimp, a pound of poached lobster, and avocado crab co*cktail for $115.
Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House
SAN LEON
San Leon’s Pier 6 is a classic sit-down seafood date night, a fine counterbalance to Gilhooley’s buckets of beer. Former Brennan’s executive chef Joe Cervantez runs the show here, sourcing seafood from local waters—its oyster distributor is Prestige Oysters, whose vice president owns Pier 6. So, the raw bivalves are top-notch, as are the oysters Rockefeller and Bienville. Outstanding entrées include pan-seared grouper with charred tomato and coconut sauce and cornmeal-crusted snapper with shrimp étouffée.
1751 Sea & Bar
HEIGHTS
Nothing goes better with gin than vermouth. A close second is fresh seafood, which chef J.D. Woodward produces in spades at the gleaming 1751 on the cusp of the Heights. Start with a round of Gulf oysters before diving into locally sourced shrimp co*cktail with a booming, hot co*cktail sauce. Often Gulf-caught fish may be grilled here, though Woodward loves searching other parts of the world for entrée fare (Maine lobster, anyone?). No matter how you enjoy your meal, you’ll find the right gin pairing with exactly 100 varieties at the ready.
State of Grace
RIVER OAKS
Chef Ford Fry’s fascination with recreating childhood memories started in 2014 with State of Grace, his ode to the neighborhood meeting place with a dash of class and a nod to the Gulf’s local bounty: bay scallops with salsa matcha, blue crab meat mixed into a salad with asparagus and artichoke, and of course a dizzying array of oysters—Murder Point, Mon Louis, Bayou Pearls. For those, head to convivial oyster bar in the restaurant’s front nook between 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and get ’em for the sort-of-throwback price of $1.50 each.
Willie G's
GALLERIA/UPTOWN
Willie G’s seafood at the Post Oak Hotel offers a new take on upscale Louisiana-style seafood. Everything on the menu is fresh and made to impress. For lunch, order a lobster roll for something filling, and the sea bass with a wedge salad for something fresh. If you're going with a friend, split the crab cakes, seafood salad or some specialty sushi rolls while you have happy hour (Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.).Don't skip the co*cktail menu!
Filed under
Seafood, Gulf Coast, State of Grace, Tony Mandola's, Liberty Kitchen, La Fisheria, Gilhooley's, , Gulf Oysters, Bb's, Restaurants
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